Sep. 19, 2013

Written by

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

An investigation of food stamp fraud in Detroit led to charges against nine people, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade announced Wednesday.

Authorities allege that retailers in the Eastern Market terminal and elsewhere in the city have been illegally exchanging cash for food stamp benefits. The fraudulent transactions totaled millions of dollars over the last year, McQuade’s office said.

“Taxpayers in Michigan fund the food stamp program to provide food for the needy, not to create a commodity to be traded for profit,” McQuade said in a news release. “We will work to ensure that food assistance programs are not abused.”

The announcement came at the end of what authorities called a “two-day federal search and arrest warrant operation.” State and federal authorities were spotted Tuesday in and around stores in Eastern Market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Internal Revenue Service, Office of Inspector General, Michigan State Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were involved in the operation.

According to McQuade’s office, the following people and retailers were subjects of the warrants:

■ Ronnie’s Quality Meats, 1429 Gratiot Ave.

■ Embassy Foods, 2478 Riopelle St.

■ Ftoni Meat & Produce, 2800 Riopelle St.

■ Detroit Wholesale Produce, 2614 Riopelle St.

■ Dayton Market, 8002 Dayton St. Manager Waleed Hindo of Inkster was arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with fraud against the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.